JUSTIN SORENSEN / WATERTOWN DAILY TIMESTwo otters arrived at the Thompson Park Zoo in July. The Thompson Park Zoo said they recently passed a United States Department of Agriculture inspection, following a negative review earlier this year.

The Thompson Park Zoo said they recently passed a United States Department of Agriculture inspection, following a negative review earlier this year.

The USDA review in June criticized the zoo for poor animal handling and for not having an adequate animal curator. Among the issues were an injury to a lynx kitten from an unsecured playpen, and a decision to handfeed the kittens without full consultation with their veterinarian.

“The June 2016 inspection was less than favorable but staff and volunteers used this report as motivation to correct all concerns immediately,” said Lesley Clark, the zoo’s director of operations, in a statement. “The October 2016 report shows the progresses the staff and volunteers have made at the zoo.”

She told the Times on Wednesday that the zoo resolved many of the USDA’s issues within a week.

The zoo’s news release said that the zoo is nearing the end of its search for a curator that would meet the USDA standards, and expects to have the position filled by mid-winter.

The zoo’s next inspection will be in October 2017, which Ms. Clark noted was a change from the quarterly inspections that the zoo has had on and off for a couple of years.

The zoo’s news release said that it will be open every Saturday starting in November, after three years of being closed due to safety concerns. The zoo said those safety concerns have been addressed.

“It’s very important for our members,” Ms. Clark said, in a phone call with the Times earlier in October. “Our members support us, and they want to enjoy all four seasons of the zoo. The past few years we haven’t been able to offer that for them.”

She also said that many of the animals are more active during the colder months of the year.

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